Swimming Plan For Beginners

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I am a fan of the Couch to 5k program for helping people get up off their couches and out onto the streets. I also like the Beginner Bike Plan for preparing folks for endurance biking. Now I bring you a plan to get you in the pool, since swimming indoors is a great Winter workout.

Swimming, like running and biking, takes time to build up the endurance and strength needed for lengthy workouts. With running, the first benchmark is a 5k, and with swimming it is a swimmer's mile, which is 1,650 yards (1,500 meters), not 1,760 yards like a normal mile.

To see an example of the workout you should do three times in your first week at the pool, just

.

Distance

Rest

Repeat

Total

100 yards

12 breaths

4 sets

400 yards

50 yards

8 breaths

4 sets

200 yards

25 yards

4 breaths

4 sets

100 yards

Grand Total

700 yards

Most pools are 25 yards long, so this workout would be 14 laps, or 28 lengths. Doable, right? Each week you add 50 to 200 yards to your workout. You slowly build up your endurance. Breaks in between swim sets are generally part of a swimming fitness plan. Plus, this is similar to the beginning running programs that mix walking with running.